The Vancouver Whitecaps were never supposed to make the MLS Playoffs, let alone the MLS Cup Final. The fairytale ending was there for the taking, but Inter Miami had other plans, defeating the Canadian club 3-1 at Chase Stadium to hoist the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy.
Miami got the early lead off an Édier Ocampo own goal. The Whitecaps tied it up in the second half through Ali Ahmed, but subsequent goals from Rodrigo De Paul and Tadeo Allende sealed the win for the home side.
Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sørensen praised his players but was also quick to congratulate his opponent.
“Firstly, congratulations to Miami,” he said. “This has been a season where we have seen a Miami team and a Vancouver team set their mark on the season. We played here before, and we came out on top. But it was always close games.”
It was the home side that got started first, early in the eighth minute. Allende received the ball as it came from overhead. With no one in front of him, he cut into the 18-yard box, leaving Ralph Priso chasing him.
Allende’s cross was looking for a streaking Miami player on the left, but it was intercepted by Ocampo. Unfortunately, the right-back redirected it into his own net for the first goal of the match.
“We made a mistake,” Sørensen said. “We made a few mistakes, and they took advantage of them. They are good at taking advantage in these situations.”
But the Whitecaps did not let the early disappointment get to them. Withstanding the pressure, they started to turn the match around as the half wore on.
Chances from Emmanuel Sabbi, Brian White and Thomas Müller gave the Whitecaps an attacking threat in the last 15 minutes of the half. However, they were not able to grab an equalizer before the halftime whistle.
But Vancouver found the tying goal at the hour mark. Sabbi ran with the ball up the right side of the pitch and found White at the edge of the 18-yard box.
With his back to the goal, White held up Maximiliano Falcon and spied Ahmed streaking in from the left. The ball was played to the Canadian winger, who shot low, beating Rocco Ríos Novo and silencing the Miami crowd.
The Whitecaps had a chance to go ahead soon after, but Sabbi put a hard shot off the post. The rebound went across the mouth of the goal to Ahmed, who ended up hitting the other post, a moment reminiscent of the Western Conference semifinal against LAFC, where they hit the post and two crossbars in a span of eight seconds.
The tie was short-lived. The Whitecaps won a ball in their defensive third, but Andrés Cubas got his pocket picked by none other than Lionel Messi.
Messi moved the ball quickly to De Paul, who had joined the attack from his midfield position. With no one in front of him, he beat Yohei Takaoka with a hard, low shot in the 71st minute.
Miami added a third goal in stoppage time, a league-record ninth MLS playoff goal for Allende.
A Whitecaps season to remember
It was a record-breaking season for the Whitecaps, and although it did not finish with the cup, there is much to be excited about going forward.
“This group has come together in a great way,” Sørensen said. “It’s a great group that I was fortunate to take over when I came in, put together by some people who had done a masterful job before I came.”
Vancouver broke club records in regular-season wins (18), away wins (8), goals for (66) and points (63).
The club also made it to the final of every competition they competed in: MLS Cup, CONCACAF Champions Cup and the Canadian Championship, which they won.
“We have grown together throughout the season. So, now we are a very strong group. And I think, today obviously, we cry. But I think what is important is that they are proud tears. And the tears have to be proud because I know we have excited a lot of people in Vancouver. We have created something around us that people want to see and watch. And I also think the behaviour of our players, both on and off the pitch, has been masterful.”
Suffice it to say, there is a lot to be proud of and excited for in the next season.
What’s next
It’s the MLS off-season. The league starts with free agency beginning on Dec. 10, followed by the Re-Entry process the day after.
The 2026 MLS SuperDraft will take place on Dec. 18.
